“All-electric motoring has never been more viable.”
Nissan is pretty excited about its all-new Leaf electric vehicle, and rightly so. The Leaf was “reinvented” for the new model year, and packs a whole lot more tech and refined mechanicals, which together make the Leaf a far more liveable proposition day-to-day. Leveraging on access it enjoys being part of the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance, the new Leaf isn’t something seasonal.
In the UK, the new Leaf will be offered in Visia, Acenta, N-Connecta, Zero (a limited-run special-edition), and Tekna, rising in that order. There, the government offers a grant of £4,500 against the price of a new electric vehicle (about $7700), and when factored in, the new Leaf will start at just a shade under $38,000 on-the-road (or £21,990) for a basic Visia, rising all the way to about $58,000 (or £33,655) for a fully-loaded Tekna.
“With the new Nissan Leaf, all-electric motoring has never been so viable or affordable for almost any motorists. EV running costs are around 85% less than petrol or diesel cars, and maintenance is almost 75% cheaper. There’s £0 VED, no congestion charge, and even free parking in some cities, not to mention convenient home charging. It’s not surprising unprecedented numbers of drivers are making the switch and going electric.” — Carl Bayliss, Manager (EV Categoru), Nissan Motors GB
The new design language, first seen on the latest Micra hatchback, is paired with advanced technologies that serve to underline Nissan’s technological lead over the rest of the pack with regards to electric mobility. The sleek, lowered stance gives it a dynamic appearance, and helps the car to achieve a remarkably low aerodynamic coefficient. The fascia is dominated by the a large “V-Motion Flow” (since a grille isn’t required), and is flanked by LED headlights in a boomerang shape that emphasise that plunging design element. In place of traditional slats, the V-Motion flow is finished with a flash-surface treatment in blue, serving to mark out this hatch as an electric car.
Under the skin lies an electric motor hooked up to 40kWh worth of batteries, capable of providing 110kW and 320Nm, along with a driving range f up to 400km on a single charge (according to Japanese testing standards). No century sprint times were released, but we’re certain with the power figures on offer, the giggle-factor that comes with electric drivetrains will be present and correct.
The “simply amazing” 2018 Leaf went on sale in Japan on the 2nd of October, while Europe should precede North America in offering the Leaf (but not by much). We’re expected to get the new Leaf too, with a launch slated in the first quarter of this year. Excited?
For more information on Nissan, check out our Showroom.
